During a press conference on the afternoon of 18/6, Ms. Chu Thi Hanh, Deputy Director of the Employment Department (Ministry of Home Affairs), stated that under current regulations, the prime minister specifically decides the schedule for Lunar New Year and National Day holidays each year. Other occasions, such as New Year's Day, Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, and the 30/4-1/5 holidays, are governed by fixed provisions in the Labor Code.

In the draft Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Labor Code, the Archives Law, the Gender Equality Law, and the Red Cross Activities Law, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposes entrusting the prime minister with the authority to decide the specific holiday schedule for all public holidays throughout the year. The Minister of Home Affairs would then be responsible for announcing these dates before 31/12 of the preceding year.

According to Ms. Hanh, in practice, some holidays fall on weekends or between working days, leading to a demand for swaps to create continuous breaks. However, current adjustments require extensive consultation with various ministries and sectors before being compiled and submitted to competent authorities for consideration.

"If implemented close to the holiday period, it becomes difficult for agencies, businesses, and citizens to proactively arrange their plans. By granting the authority to decide the entire holiday schedule, the prime minister could consider holiday arrangements from the beginning of the year, while the Ministry of Home Affairs would proactively advise and provide early notification," Ms. Hanh said.

Ms. Chu Thi Hanh, Deputy Director of the Employment Department, at the Ministry of Home Affairs press conference on the afternoon of 18/6. Photo: Manh Quan

Regarding the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor's proposal to add two additional days off for National Day, a representative from the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that the agency has not yet received a formal proposal but will research and provide advice during the Labor Code amendment process.

Vietnam currently observes 11 paid public holidays: one day for New Year's Day, 5 days for Lunar New Year, one day for Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, two days for the 30/4-1/5 period, and two days for National Day.

In addition to the proposal concerning holiday scheduling authority, the Ministry of Home Affairs is also suggesting the inclusion of Vietnam Culture Day on 24/11 as a paid holiday. This aims to institutionalize the Party's and National Assembly's policies on cultural development.

Hong Chieu